the_bees_books's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Child death, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Bullying, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, War, and Body horror
zombiezami's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Murder, Death of parent, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Grief, Genocide, Death, Blood, Body horror, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Cursing, and Physical abuse
Minor: Deadnaming
jessthanthree's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Child death, War, Toxic relationship, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Grief, Blood, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Xenophobia, and Body horror
Minor: Animal death, Racial slurs, and Alcohol
sup3r_xn0va_maya's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this and I see why it also won the Hugo award (and many other awards).
I was drawn in to the story and my interest or excitement never faltered. This book reminds me of how enamored I was while reading Octavia E. Butler's Patternist series, I see some elements of OEB's stories come through in The Fifth Season and The Obelisk Gate. Mainly a dystopian setting, found family, and found community to help survive the recent disasters.
I read this in 5 days only because I was buddy reading with my boyfriend and we had to read around his schedule. If I had read this on my own I probably would have finished it within a day or two. It was that good.
Graphic: Cursing, Physical abuse, Violence, Child death, Blood, Child abuse, and Death of parent
yourbookishbff's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
At the start of The Obelisk Gate, our main character Essun has lost too many children, has sacrificed too much of herself, and has been hunted by too many of those she once loved, and her grief is all consuming. The tender moments between her and Alabaster destroyed me. And we finally get NESSUN in book two, and it's just as much of a gut punch as we expected. She gives up so much for survival - her "daughterhood," her childhood, her ideas of familial love. Through Nessun in particular, NKJ is constantly pushing us to examine our sympathies. Characters like Jija and Schaffa are head-spinning as we try to sort out good and evil in a world literally covered in gray ash.
And sweet, terrifying Hoa. I love him. I distrust him. I love him. I don't know.
Highly recommend this series and looking forward to book three!
Graphic: Slavery, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Child abuse, Abandonment, Terminal illness, Child death, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Confinement, Murder, and Colonisation
Minor: Cannibalism
zoiejanelle's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
i had to stop reading about 1/3rd through because of a few of the trigger warnings i list below, but i am very glad i kept going.
NK Jemisin has such a unique way with words and her characters are all so tangible and emotive. Essun and Alabaster ripped my heart out time and time again, and i empathized with Nassun on so many unexpected levels. i cannot wait to read the (what i have heard will be) thrilling conclusion to the trilogy.
Graphic: Body horror, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Animal death, Child death, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, and Grief
Moderate: Slavery, Medical content, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Cannibalism, War, and Murder
Minor: Sexual content
some_random_person_hi's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Death, Medical content, Physical abuse, Violence, Abandonment, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Body horror, Child death, and Vomit
Moderate: Alcohol, Confinement, Cursing, Stalking, and Gore
Minor: Animal death, Drug use, Genocide, and War
studydniowka's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Moderate: Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Colonisation, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Cannibalism
fourfootedbeasts's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Child death, Grief, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Murder, Physical abuse, Slavery, and Xenophobia
quil's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, Murder, Death, Racism, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Child abuse, and Child death
Moderate: Cannibalism